Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
08:34

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis

Published on: June 3, 2016

15.8K

Regulation of apoptosis-related genes during interactions between oyster hemocytes and the alveolate parasite

Yuk-Ting Lau1, Bianca Santos1, Michelle Barbosa1

  • 1School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, United States.

Fish & Shellfish Immunology
|September 10, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Perkinsus marinus evades oyster immune cells by regulating apoptosis. Inhibiting parasite antioxidants increases reactive oxygen species and oyster cell death, suggesting a novel therapeutic target for oyster disease.

Area of Science:

  • Marine biology and immunology
  • Parasitology and host-pathogen interactions
  • Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis

Background:

  • Perkinsus marinus is a major pathogen of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica.
  • P. marinus survives phagocytosis by oyster hemocytes, leading to intracellular parasitism.
  • This intracellular survival is linked to the regulation of host cell apoptosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis regulation in oyster hemocytes during P. marinus infection.
  • To investigate the roles of oyster apoptosis-related genes and parasite apoptosis-regulatory genes.
  • To evaluate the impact of inhibiting P. marinus antioxidant processes on hemocyte apoptosis.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative PCR (qPCR) to assess gene expression in Crassostrea virginica and P. marinus.
  • In vitro experiments using chemical inhibitors targeting P. marinus antioxidant pathways.
  • Measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and hemocyte apoptosis.

Main Results:

  • Evidence for the involvement of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway (Bcl-2, anamorsin) in C. virginica hemocytes.
  • Regulation of antioxidant genes (peroxiredoxin, superoxide dismutase) in P. marinus upon interaction with hemocytes.
  • Chemical inhibition of P. marinus superoxide dismutase significantly increased ROS and hemocyte apoptosis.

Conclusions:

  • Apoptosis regulation during P. marinus infection may involve parasite anti-oxidative processes.
  • Oxygen-dependent apoptosis is implicated in P. marinus infection and disease progression in oysters.
  • Targeting parasite antioxidant mechanisms presents a potential strategy for managing oyster disease.
Keywords:
ApoptosisIntracellularOysterPerkinsusROS

More Related Videos

A Converging Strategy for the Generation of a Virtually Sequenced cDNA Library from Unreferenced Pacific Oysters12:14

A Converging Strategy for the Generation of a Virtually Sequenced cDNA Library from Unreferenced Pacific Oysters

Published on: June 13, 2019

5.9K
Leveraging Micro-CT Scanning to Analyze Parasitic Plant-Host Interactions06:23

Leveraging Micro-CT Scanning to Analyze Parasitic Plant-Host Interactions

Published on: January 12, 2022

2.4K

Related Concept Videos

Gene Regulation During Sporulation01:17

Gene Regulation During Sporulation

Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
506
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
38.5K
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation02:19

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent...
4.6K
Constitutive and Regulated Gene Expression01:27

Constitutive and Regulated Gene Expression

Gene expression in prokaryotes is governed by constitutive and regulated systems, allowing cells to balance the production of essential proteins with adaptive responses to environmental changes.Constitutive Gene ExpressionConstitutive, or housekeeping, genes are continuously expressed as they encode proteins vital for fundamental cellular processes. These include enzymes for glycolysis, ribosomal components for protein synthesis, and proteins involved in DNA replication. Their constant...
1.2K
Gene-Environment Interactions01:20

Gene-Environment Interactions

Gene expression is a dynamic process that is significantly influenced by environmental factors. This interaction underlies the complex nature of biological development and the phenotypic differences observed among individuals, even among those with identical genetic makeups. Factors such as radiation, temperature, behavior, nutrition, and stress play pivotal roles in determining how genes are expressed. The concept of the reaction range is central to understanding this interaction. It posits...
1.2K
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size...
15.1K